1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to knee airbag assemblies. More specifically, the present invention relates to a novel knee airbag and glove box assembly that may be installed onto the front passenger side of a motor vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
Inflatable airbags are well accepted for use in motor vehicles and have been credited with preventing numerous deaths and accidents. Some statistics estimate that frontal airbags reduce the fatalities in head-on collisions by 25% among drivers using seat belts and by more than 30% among unbelted drivers. Statistics further suggest that with use of a combination of seat belt and airbag, serious chest injuries in frontal collisions can be reduced by 65% and serious head injuries by up to 75%. Airbag use presents clear benefits and vehicle owners are frequently willing to pay the added expense for airbags.
A modern airbag apparatus may include an electronic control unit (“ECU”) and one or more airbag modules. The ECU is usually installed in the middle of an automobile, between the passenger and engine compartments. The ECU includes a sensor that continuously monitors the acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle and sends this information to a processor that processes an algorithm to determine if the vehicle is in an accident situation.
When the processor determines that there is an accident situation, the ECU transmits an electrical current to an initiator in the airbag module. The initiator triggers operation of the inflator or gas generator which, in some embodiments, uses a combination of compressed gas and solid fuel. The inflator inflates a textile airbag to project towards the passenger and prevent injury to the passenger. In some airbag apparatuses, the airbag may be fully inflated within 50 thousandths of a second and deflated within two tenths of a second.
Airbag apparatuses have been designed for deployment in front of the torso of an occupant between the upper torso of an occupant and the windshield or instrument panel. Such airbags are referred to as “primary airbags” and usually consist of driver's airbags mounted in or proximate the steering wheel and/or passenger airbags mounted in the dashboard. Primary airbags protect the occupant's upper torso and head from colliding with a windshield or instrument panel during a crash.
Primary airbags are generally designed under the assumption that the occupant is riding in the vehicle in a forward facing, seated position with both feet on the vehicle floor. When an occupant is not in this position, the occupant or occupant's body part is said to be “out of position.” As an occupant occasionally is “out of position,” airbag apparatuses that effectively restrain the occupant regardless of the occupant's position are advantageous.
During a front-end collision, if the occupant is restrained by a seat belt, the occupant's upper torso bends at the waist and hits the primary airbag. However, depending on the design of the vehicle seat and force of the collision, there is a tendency for an occupant to slide forward along the seat and slip below the primary airbag, falling to the feet and leg compartment of the vehicle. Such non-preferred movement of the vehicle occupant towards the feet and leg compartments of the vehicle is often referred to as “submarining.”
Alternatively, there is also a tendency for the legs and knees of the occupant to slide or shift to one side of the seat or the other during a front-end collision. The tendency is pronounced when the occupant is not properly restrained by a seat belt. This tendency may be referred to as “sliding”. Sliding often causes the occupant's upper torso to bend at the waist but not in a direction perpendicular to the primary airbag. When the occupant slides, the primary airbag is less effective in protecting the occupant.
Sliding and submarining are more prevalent in vehicles that have large legroom compartments. On the other hand, vehicles that have restricted legroom, such as compact models or sports cars, have a lower tendency for sliding and submarining. In these smaller cars, the distance between the legs and knees of the occupant and the instrument panel is shorter than the distance in vehicles like sport utility vehicles or trucks. Thus, if a compact model or sports car is involved in an accident, the occupant's knees will likely strike a portion of the instrument panel. In turn, this contact with the instrument panel prevents the occupant from sliding or submarining. However, the material of the car's instrument panel has limited energy absorption characteristics and can cause injury to the occupant's lower legs. The area of the instrument panel that is impacted by the occupant's knees is sometimes referred to as the knee bolster.
In order to prevent sliding and lower leg injuries in vehicles, knee airbag systems have been developed. A knee airbag system is generally positioned in the lower portion of the instrument panel. Knee airbag systems allow vehicle manufacturers to design vehicles with more legroom and still have safety comparable to that of vehicles with less legroom.
As with other types of airbags, knee airbags include an inflator and an airbag. In general, the airbag is made of a flexible fabric material such as a weave of nylon and/or polyester. Generally, multiple pieces of fabric are sewn together to form an airbag. Alternatively, the material may be woven to create a one piece airbag. Most knee airbag systems will also include a housing. The housing is a conventional enclosure for securing the knee airbag components to the vehicle. The housing stores the knee airbag system components while the airbag is deflated and not in use.
Knee airbag systems are designed such that if the ECU senses or detects a crash or accident, the ECU will initiate and/or activate the inflator. This activation of the inflator causes the inflator to produce and/or channel a large volume of inflation gas into the airbag. In turn, this influx of inflation gas causes the airbag to inflate and deploy into the interior of the vehicle.
When the knee airbag is inflated during the crash, the airbag becomes positioned between the knees and/or legs of the occupant. Accordingly, as the occupant begins to move towards the instrument panel of the vehicle during a crash, the knees and/or legs of the occupant will contact and/or impact the inflated knee airbag. Such contact with the knee airbag holds the vehicle occupant in the desired position and prevents the occupant from sliding or submarining during a crash.
Many of the known knee airbag systems have been specifically designed such that they may be installed onto the driver side of the instrument panel. Such driver-side knee airbags are typically positioned below the steering wheel and are designed to protect the vehicle's driver during an accident. Experience has shown however that it is much more difficult to create a knee airbag system that may be installed onto the vehicle's passenger side. The reason for this is that most vehicles contain a glove box that is located on the passenger side of the instrument panel. This placement of the glove box overlaps and /or occupies all or a portion of the space needed to install the knee airbag system. Therefore, in order to accommodate the spatial constraints caused by the glove box, many passenger-side knee airbag systems must be installed onto the vehicle in a position that does not provide optimal impact protection to the a vehicle occupant seated in the front passenger seat.
Additionally, the spatial constraints caused by the glove box also raise the costs associated with installing the knee airbag system into the vehicle. Specifically, because the glove box overlaps with the knee airbag system, experienced and/or skilled laborers will often be required to use extra seconds during to installation process to ensure that the knee airbag system does not interfere with the ability to open and close the glove box door. As the airbag and vehicle manufacturer incur costs for every moment that passes during the installation process, these extra moments spent during installation will raise the production costs and can drastically affect the manufacturer's overall profit margin.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a novel knee airbag and glove box assembly that addresses and/or solves one or more of the above-listed problems. Such a system and device is disclosed herein.